1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved machine for inserting a plurality of terminated wire leads into a connector housing.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Wire insertion machines of the prior art are commonly combination machines which both crimp a terminal onto the wire and insert it into a connector. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,424, which at the insertion stage utilizes a pair of wire grippers which grip the wire behind the terminal and move it toward a cavity in a housing indexed to receive the terminal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,164,065 utilizes a push member which bears on the terminal itself, and is an improvement over the former patent insofar as a wire in the apparatus of the former will buckle if the wire is not sufficiently stiff or large gauge. Both of the above are directed to connector housings having a single row of cavities. Other apparatus utilizing gripping jaws which clamp the wire and move it towards a housing include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,329,002 and 3,964,147. The latter is directed to a multiple row connector. All of the above utilize pneumatic pistons actuated by electrical sensing switches which signal the completion of a previous operation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,055,889 and 4,087,908 disclose a "Connector Harness Assembly Machine" which also utilizes jaws which grip the wire behind the terminal and move it toward a cavity in a housing, and further incorporates a test probe which runs an electrical continuity check to assure the terminal is inserted.
None of the prior art describes an insertion machine which utilizes a remote pair of feed wheels in combination with a tunnel to load a terminated wire into a connector housing.